Chapter 5: Is Capella Bangkok the best urban retreat in the world?

Bangkok is a rewarding and stimulating place to spend time, whether for business or pleasure, and my visits always lead me to new neighborhoods. During my most recent trip, I visited Chinatown, a cultural center known for its temples, crafts, and endless mouthwatering street food stalls. There is no other city in the world with a street food scene like Bangkok, and 73-year-old Jay Fai is a legend of the Chinatown street food scene.

Not only was she the first street food vendor ever to receive a Michelin star, but he’s also kept this for four consecutive years. That’s pretty impressive.

After a day of exhausting sightseeing, delicious street food, and a good dose of exhaust fumes, there’s nothing better than the prospect of relaxing at an urban luxury resort that lets you fool yourself into forgetting you're in the center of a major city. That is precisely the kind of refuge you will find at Capella Bangkok.

Capella Bangkok is not your ordinary 5-star hotel, which is why I think it might just be the best urban resort in the world.?

Let me give you five reasons why I think so.?

1. The Perfect Hotel Stay?

In 2017 Hotels.com claimed to have cracked the code on the perfect hotel stay. After analyzing 148 million comments from more than 5 million trusted guest reviews, they developed “The perfect hotel stay formula.”

Not surprisingly, guests rated staff friendliness, room cleanliness, and bed comfort as the most important. Capella scores 100% in my book across all three areas. The property is kept spotless, the beds guarantee a good night's sleep, and the team is just amazing.

2. Location Location Location

There's nothing better than staying next to the Chao Phraya River, and when you add easy access to Charoenkrung Road - Bangkok's oldest paved street - where tradition and culture meet the city's trendiest cafes, bars, and art galleries, you've got a location that's hard to beat.?

3. Personalized service

Having retired from the Ritz-Carlton in 2003, a company he founded 20 years earlier, Horst Schulze spent just one day in retirement before deciding to pursue a new venture and further define luxury hospitality. In creating The Capella Hotel Group, Schulze has come up with an entirely new concept of what luxury should be like in the 21st century. Gone are the white tie and apron uniforms for the waitstaff, black tie for the Ma?tre d’, and morning suits for all other staff associated with the formal luxury of the Ritz Carlton. Luxury in the twenty-first century is more relaxed. Service is personalized and kept informal.

Alongside this, he wanted to connect guests more with the community around the hotel. In addition, a thoughtfully designed and well-executed modern aesthetic with the highest level of comfort exceeds the best of the rest.?

At the backbone of operations at Capella Hotels and Resorts, Capella culturalists hold not only the coolest job titles in the hospitality industry but also serve as personal butlers and look after the guests' every need from the moment they arrive at their hotel until they depart.

Forget waiting in line at check-in - at Capella Bangkok, all guests are escorted to The Living Room upon arrival. A light-filled, river-facing lounge furnished as a spacious and elegant living room open for guests at any time of day.

All guest interactions with staff are tracked and help to enhance and enrich a "guest profile" that allows the culturists to provide even more personalized service throughout the stay. Intelligent room cards allow the culturists to keep an eye on guest movement throughout the property without being intrusive. At Capella Bangkok, the magic of housekeeping happening when you are away from the room we have all longed for is now a reality, and the friendly good morning Mr. Mogensen by staff across the property is helped on its way by smart technology and discrete staff earpieces. Welcome to hospitality 2.0 :-)

4. Capella Curates

At Capella Hotels, they go all out to ensure that their guests engage deeply with the culture in the area where they are staying. All Capella Culturists have spent time scouring each locale they are based in, leaving no leaf unturned in our quest to provide guests with unforgettable moments, immersing into the local community to engage and discover local heritage and culture, discovering new skills, and meeting some fascinating people along the way. They understand escapism beyond the simple indulgence of travel and seek, through knowledge, empathy, and respect for the hotel surroundings, to create a selection of experiences designed to become lifelong memories.

It has been common for hotels to do everything possible to keep their guests within their premises for too long. It is so refreshing to experience how this hotel encourages guests to step out of the hotel and explore the local community.

5. Ala carte breakfast

I would like to mention breakfast. This is a part of a hotel stay that some hotels take too lightly or try to cut corners with. That was not the case at Capella. Not only was the food delicious, and the presentation beautiful. The dishes were all served a la carte just as it should in this kind of property.

Conclusion

While Bangkok has no shortage of luxury hotels to choose from, Capella is bringing something new to the market. The Capella is sophisticated, but some might also say that the Capella has decidedly a low-key feel - but that’s a good thing! Or, as Chris Schalkx from Conde Nast Traveller put it in his 2021 review of the hotel: "There’s no flashy design and no over-the-top exterior; instead, muted hues and lots of marble. It is the logo-less – but twice as expensive – handbag next to a shiny Louis Vuitton."?

Capella Bangkok, in many ways, captures the essence of what has become known as "New Luxury." Experiences and memories bring new luxury to life - and Capella left excellent memories with me! That’s why I consider Capella Bangkok to be the world's best urban retreat.? Keep up the good work John Blanco and team!?